PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels — St. Mark
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles), 1816–1900 · 128,053 words · 339 reading sections
MAKK VI. 35—46.
35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed : 36 Send them away that they may go into the country round ahout, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread : for they have nothing to eat. 37 He answered and said unto them, Giv…
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quently described in the G-ospels, as that which we have now read. Each of the four Evangelists was inspired to record it. It is evident that it demands a more than ordinary attention from every reader of G-od's word. Let us observe, for one thing, in this passage, what an example this miracle affords of our Lord Jesu…
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these in their minds, and to remember them in time of need. We live in the midst of an evil world, and see few with ns, and many against us. We carry within us a weak heart, too ready at any moment to turn aside from the right way. We have near us, at every moment, a "busy devil, watching continually for our halting, a…
601 wordsSECTION 124MAEK VI. 47—56.
47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. 48 And he saw them toiling in row^ ing ; for the wind was contrary unto them : and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walk- ing upon the sea, and would have passed by them. 49 But when they saw him walking…
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please, at the superstitious fears of these unlearned dis- ciples. Let them boast, if they like, of the march of intellect, and the spread of knowledge, in these latter times. There are few, we may confidently assert, who, placed in the same position as the apostles, would have shown more courage than they. The boldest…
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1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the Scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all tho Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tra…
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•which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 5 Then the Pharisees and Scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disci- ples according to the traditions of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands 2 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of y…
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The second thing, that demands our attention, is the uselessness of mere lip-service in the worship of God. Our Lord enforces this lesson by a quotation from the Old Testament : " Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypo- crites, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." The heart is the…
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what a Christian ought to be. Our voice may be heard foremost in the praise and prayer. But it is all worse than nothing in God's sight, if our hearts are far away. It is only wood, hay, and stubble before Him who dis- cerns thoughts, and reads the secrets of the inward man. Let us remember this in our private devotio…
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to honor them above the Scripture, and to degrade Scripture from its lawful position. This was the state of things which our Lord found when he was upon earth. Practically, the traditions of man were everything, and the Word of God was nothing at all. Obedience to the traditions constituted true religion. Obedience to …
694 wordsSECTION 131MAEK VII. 14—23.
14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand : 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him : hut the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him he…
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The corruption of human nature is an universal dis- ease. It affects not only a man's heart, will, and con- science, but his mind, memory, and understanding. The very same person who is quick and clever in worldly things, will often utterly fail to comprehend the simplest truths of Christianity. He will often be unable…
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There is a deep truth in these words which is fre- quently overlooked. Our original sinfulness and natural inclination to evil are seldom sufficiently considered. The wickedness of men is often attributed to bad exam- ples, bad company, peculiar temptations, or the snares of the devil. It seems forgotten that every man…
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We see, in the last place, from this passage, what a black catalogue of evils the human heart contains. u Out of the heart of men," says our Lord, u proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness : all these evil things come from within." Let …
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sight. (Isai. Ixiv. 6.) He sees in each one of us count- less evils, which the world never sees at all, for He reads our hearts. Surely of all sins to which we are liable, self-righteousness is the most unreasonable and unbe- How thankful we ought to be for the Gospel, when we read these verses ! That Gospel contains …
196 wordsSECTION 136MARK VII. 24—30.
24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it : hut he could not be hid. 25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spir- it, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet : 26 The woman was a Greek, a Sy- rophenician …
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benefits that may be conferred on others by praying for them. The nobleman's son at Capernaum — the centu- rion's servant — the daughter of Jairus, are all striking examples. Wonderful as it may seem, God is pleased to do great things for souls, when friends and relations are moved to pray for them. " The effectual fer…
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She pressed her suit with ingenious arguments. She would take no refusal. She pleaded for a few " crumbs" of mercy, rather than none at all. And through this holy importunity she succeeded. She heard at last these joyful words : " For this saying go thy way ; the devil is gone out of thy daughter !" Perseverance in pr…
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Godless, Christless, and hopeless, and has to learn the very rudiments of religion. Let him awake, and call upon God. But do we pray for ourselves ? Then let us take heed that we pray for others also. Let us beware of selfish prayers — prayers which are wholly taken up with our own affairs, and in which there is no pl…
209 wordsSECTION 140MAEK VII. 31—37.
31 And again, departing from the sighed, and said unto him, Epbpha- coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came tha, that is, Be opened. unto the sea of Galilee, through the j 35 And straightway liis ears were midst of the coasts of Decapolis. j opened, and the string of his tongue 32 And they bring unto him one j was loosed, …
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The second thing which demands our notice in these verses, is the peculiar manner in which our Lord thought good to work the miracle here recorded. We are told that when the deaf and dumb person was brought to Jesus, " He took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit and touched his …
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grace to turn people out of the way of sin. Sometimes He arrests their attention by some providence, without any means of grace at all. He will not have any means of grace made an idol and exalted, to the disparagement of other means. He will not have any means despised as useless, and neglected as of no value. All are…
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Let us remember it as we look forward to the days yet to come. We know not what they may be, bright or dark, many or few. But we know that we are in the hands of Him who " doeth all things well." He will not err in any of His dealings with us. He will take away and give — He will afflict and bereave — He will move and …
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1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2 I have compassion on the multi- tude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat ; 3 And if I send them away fasting, to their own houses, they will faint …
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from no other motive than idle curiousity, and had no claim whatever to be regarded as His disciples. Yet when He saw them hungry and destitute, He pitied them : " I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat." The feeling heart of our Lord Jesus Christ app…
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" from whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness ?" They might well say so. Without the hand of Him who first made the world out of nothing, the thing could not be. But in the almighty hands of Jesus seven loaves and a few fishes were made sufficient to satisfy four thousand men. Nothing is t…
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Let us observe, in the last place, how much sorrow ?/??- belief occasions to our Lord Jesus Christ. We are told that when " the Pharisees began to question with Him, seeking of Him a sign from heaven, tempting Him, He sighed deeply in His spirit/5 There was a deep meaning in that sigh ! It came from a heart which mourn…
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157 Do we feel grieved and concerned about the state of the unconverted ? These are heart-searching questions, and demand serious consideration. There are few surer marks of an unconverted heart, than carelessness and indifference about the souls of others. Finally, let us never forget that unbelief and sin are just …
139 wordsSECTION 149MARK VIII. 14—21.
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16 And they reasoned among them- selves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 17 And when Jesus…
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warning. This is made clear by the parallel passage in St. Matthew's Gospel. We there read that Jesus did not mean the leaven of " bread/' but the leaven of "doctrine." The self-righteousness and formalism of the Pharisees — the worldliness and scepticism of the courtiers of Herod, were the object of our Lord's caution…
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which it changes the whole character of his Christianity. Here, in fact, lies the great danger of false doctrine. If it approached us under its true colors, it would do little harm. The great secret of its success is its subtlety and likeness to truth. Every error in religion has been said to be a truth abused. Let us…
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we are converted. Our knowledge, like all our graces, is always imperfect, and never so far from perfection as at our first beginning in the service of Christ. There is more ignorance in our hearts than we are at all aware of. " If any man think that he knoweth anything, he know- eth nothing yet as he ought to know." (…
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161 23 And he took the hlind man by the hand, and led him out of the town ; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. 25 After that he put Ms hands again upon his eyes, and bade him look up : and he was rest…
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that he only saw " men as trees walking." Afterwards his eyesight was restored completely, and he " saw every man clearly." In this respect the miracle stands entirely alone. We need hardly doubt that this gradual cure was meant to be an emblem of spiritual things. We may be sure that there was a deep meaning in every…
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163 man, a striking picture of the present position of Christ's believing people in the world, compared with that which is to come. We see in part and know in part in the present dispensation. We are like those that travel by night. We know not the meaning of much that is passing around us. In the providential dealing…
162 wordsSECTION 156MAKE VIII. 27—33.
27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Csesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, "Whom do men say that I am ? 28 And they answered, John the Baptist : but some say, Elias ; and others, One of the prophets. 29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am ? An…
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of a conversation " by the way." Happy are those journeys, in which time is not wasted on trifles, but redeemed as far as possible for the consideration of serious things. Let us observe the variety of opinions about Christ, which prevailed among the Jews. Some said that He was John the Baptist — some Elias — and othe…
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of the Jewish nation, both in church and state, refused to receive Jesus as the Messiah. Yet even then Simon Peter says, " Thou art the Christ." His strong faith was not stumbled by our Lord's poverty and low estate. His confidence was not shaken by the opposition of Scribes and Pharisees, and the contempt of rulers an…
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the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again." The events here announced must have sounded strange to the disciples. To be told that their beloved Master, after all His mighty works, would soon be put to death, must have been heavy tidings and past their understand- ing. But the words…
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secondary importance. Whatever views we hold of re- ligious truth, let us see that we have a firm grasp ujoon the atoning efficacy of Christ's death. Let the truth so often proclaimed by our Lord to His disciples, and so diligently taught by the disciples to the world, be the foundation truth in our Christianity. In li…
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with the best intentions! He meant well. His motives were pure. But zeal and earnestness are no excuse for error. A man may mean well and yet fall into tremen- dous mistakes. Let us learn humility from the facts here recorded. Let us beware of being puffed up with our own spiritual attainments, or exalted by the prais…
213 wordsSECTION 162MAEK VIII. 34—38.
34 And when he had called the people vnto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny him- self, and take up his cross, aud follow me. 35 For whosoever -will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake aud the Gospel's, the same shall save i…
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Let us not be deterred from Christ's service by fear of the cross. Heavy as that cross may seem, Jesus will give us grace to bear it. " I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me." (Phil. iv. 13.) Thou- sands and tens of thousands have borne it before us, and have found Christ's yoke" easy, and Christ's b…
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soul seems a small and unimportant thing, and the world seems very bright and great. May we remember them in the hour of persecution, when we are tried by the fear of man, and half inclined to forsake Christ. In hours like these, let us call to mind this mighty question of our Lord, and repeat it to ourselves, " What s…
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173 would not dare to avow that they desired to please Christ rather than man. Wonderful indeed is the power of ridicule ! Marvellous is the bondage in which men live to the opinion of the world ! Let us all pray daily for faith and courage to confess Christ before men, Of sin, or worldliness, or unbelief, we may wel…
137 wordsSECTION 166MAEK IX. 1—13.
1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. 2 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves : and …
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The connection of this passage with the end of the last chapter ought never to be overlooked. Our Lord had been speakimg of His own coming death and passion — of the necessity of self-denial, if men would be His disciples • — of the need of losing our lives, if we would have them saved. — But in the same breath he goes…
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for which Jesus came into the world, to suffer and to die. It showed a forgetful ness of his brethen, who were not with him, and of the dark world which so much needed his Master's presence. Above all, the proposal which he made at the same time to " build three tabernacles" for Moses, Elias, and Christ, showed a low v…
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allowed to share in His glory, and join the happy company, and feel that we shall go out no more from the joy of our Lord ? These are questions that no man can answer. The happiness of that great day of gathering together is one that we cannot now conceive. The feelings of which Peter had a little foretaste, will then …
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as the master of the house is above the servants, and that they must in all things believe, follow, -obey, trust, and hear Him. Finally, the last words of the voice from heaven, are words that should be ever before the minds of all true Christians. They should w hear Christ" He is the great Teacher ; they that would b…
356 wordsSECTION 171MARK IX. 14—29.
14 And when he came to his dis- ciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the Scribes questioning with them. 15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to Mm saluted him. 16 And he asked the Scribes, What question ye with them? 17 And one of the multitude an- swe…
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of glory, to a conflict with Satanic possession. We change the blessed company of Moses and Elias, for the rude intercourse of unbelieving Scribes. We leave the foretaste of millennial glory, and the solemn voice of God the Father testifying to God the Son, and return once more to a scene of pain, weakness, and misery—…
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Let us learn a lesson of humility from the failure of the disciples. Let us strive to realize every day our need of the grace and presence of Christ. With Him we may do all things. Without Him we can do nothing at all. With Him we may overcome the greatest temp- tations. Without Him the least may overcome us. Let our c…
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Let us learn, in the third place, from these verses, how faith and unbelief can be mixed together in the same heart. The words of the child's father set this truth before us in a touching way. " Lord," he cried, " I be- lieve ; help thou mine unbelief." We see in those words a vivid picture of the heart of many a true…
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them. It is of the utmost importance to our comfort to know, that a true believer may be known by his in- ward warfare, as well as by his inward peace. Let us mark, in the last place, the complete dominion which our Lord exercises over Satan and all his agents. The spirit who was too strong for the disciples, is at on…
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30 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee ; and he would not that any man should know it. 31 For he taught his disciples, and paid unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him 5 and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 32 But they understood not…
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What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? 34 But they held their peace : for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. 35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. 36 …
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ment which He makes. It is not for nothing that He reminds us again that He must die. He would have us know that His death was the great end for which He came into the world. He would remind us that by that death the great problem was to be solved, how God could be just, and yet justify sinners. He did not come upon ea…
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men, and to mortify that self-pleasing and self-indulgence, to which we are all so prone. Is there any service that we can render to our fellow Christians ? Is there any kindness that we can do them, to help them and promote their happiness ? If there is, let us do it without delay. Well would it be for Christendom, if…
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189 There is rich encouragement here for ail who devote themselves to the charitable work of doing good to neg- lected souls. There is encouragement for every one who labors to restore the outcast to a place in society — to raise the fallen — to gather together the ragged children, whom no man cares for — to pluck the…
142 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1857). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.